Spike in alcohol-related bad behaviour prompts grog ban

A GROWING culture of antisocial behaviour in Newman could result in tougher restrictions on the sale of takeaway liquor in the burgeoning Pilbara mining town.

A series of drunken incidents last Thursday morning led police to implement a halfday ban on takeaway sales and close Newman’s only standalone liquor store, Cellarbrations.

Newman Women’s Shelter recorded its quietest night ever as a result of the ban and police did not attend a single alcohol-related incident after midday.

Newman police Sergeant Mick Spears said last week’s actions, permitted under the Liquor Control Act, were in response to an avalanche of antisocial incident reports on Thursday morning, sparked by an influx of visitors to the town before a funeral at the Jigalong Aboriginal community on Saturday.

“If the same type of behaviour had been seen in Perth it would be front page news . . . it was appalling,” he said.

“The aggression, the fighting, the drunkenness, the large groups of people hanging around shopping centres intimidating people, people begging for money, urinating in the street, it was just unbelievable.”

Shire of East Pilbara president Lynne Craigie welcomed the ban. Cr Craigie told the North West Telegraph last week Newman had been overrun by a culture of antisocial behaviour in the past eight

months.

“If that’s what it takes to solve the problem then so be it,” she said. “I applaud the police for what they did.”

Newman Women’s Shelter manager Maggie Lewis said on average she received eight phone calls per night in relation to women and children being abused as a result of alcohol.

Last Thursday, she said, the shelter received none.

“I go on and on and on that every issue here is related to alcohol … it’s an illness and as a community we have got to do something,” Ms Lewis said.

Cellarbrations owner and shire deputy president Anita Grace said although the ban cost her business she, too, was

supportive of the move.

“As a town we can’t tolerate this behaviour,” she said.

“If we don’t take a tough stance the minority will turn this town into something we don’t want.”

Sgt Spears said he would have no hesitation to use similar

measures in future.